Walking aid



Dec. 24, 1957 A. HILT, SR

WALKING AID Filed Nov. 5, 1955 2,817,347 Patented Dec. 24, 1957 WALKING AID Andrew lHilt, Sr., West Conshohocken, Pa., assignor of one-third to Andrew Hilt, Jr., and one-third to Julia Hilt, both of West Conshohocken, Pa.

Application November 3, 1955, Serial No. 544,675 2 Claims. (Cl. 13S-45) The present invention relates to walking aids of the type used by cripples and amputees, and is concerned primarily with a novel type of aid that is intended to be gripped in the hands of the user.

At the present time there are many amputees and cripples who must use their hands in moving about from place to place. During this operation the hands engage the oor, street, or other surface over which the cripple desires to move. It is now recognized that actual engagement of the hands with the surface is undesirable, and certain makeshift devices have been provided which are gripped by the user and which engage the surface. However, it is believed that as yet this art is singularly 1acking in any practical device which will satisfactorily accommodate the conditions under which it is used.

With the foregoing circumstances in mind, the present invention has in View as its foremost objective the provision of a novel walking aid which is designed to be comfortably and conveniently grasped by the user and which includes elements for engaging a floor, street, road, or other surface in a secure and nonslipping manner.

More in detail, the invention has as an object the provision of a walking aid of the character indicated which consists essentially of two devices which are substantial duplicates and each of which is adapted to be grasped by a hand of the user. Each of these devices consists essentially of a grip bar that is supported at opposite ends by two Uashaped members, each having a pair of legs, the free ends of which are provided with nonslipping elements such as rubber tips. With this arrangement, it is evident that the grip bar is maintained upraised and spaced from any surface over which the user moves, and is therefore adapte-d to be comfortably and conveniently gripped by the hands of the user. This grip bar is adequately supported by the supporting elements, and the rubber tips afford definite assurance against slipping.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages of the invention such as arise in connection with carrying out the above-noted ideas in a practical embodiment will in part become apparent and in part be hereinafter stated as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention therefore comprises a walking aid for amputees and cripples, and which aid consists of a pair of devices each of which is adapted to be gripped by a hand of the user, with each device consisting of a grip bar at opposite ends supported by two U-shaped supports, each having a pair of legs with free ends carrying rubber tips. For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a person using the walking aid of this invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view of one of the devices shown on an enlarged scale; and

Figure 3 is a detailed transverse vertical section through the grip bar, and is taken about on the plane represented by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, and first more particularly to Figure l, a person who has need of a walking aid is therein illustrated and referred to in his en tirety by the reference character P. The person P is intended to be typical of a cripple, amputee, or other person who has lost the use of his limbs for walking purposes. Such people ordinarily use their arms for locomotion over a floor, street, road, or similar surface. Thus, each of the arms 10 has a hand 11 which grips one of the devices constituting the walking aid of this invention. Each of these devices is referred to in its entirety by the reference character D, and inasmuch as the devices D are substantial duplicates, only one of them is herein described in detail, as that is believed to be sufficient for the purposes of this specification.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 and 3, one of the devices D is shown as including as a characteristic and essential element a grip bar 12. This bar 12 is preferably of a hollow or tubular construction, being made from an appropriate metal, and is of the oval cross section illustrated in Figure 3. This `oval cross section is provided because it provides for a more comfortable and convenient grip by one of the hands 11.

The grip bar 12 carries a pair of supporting members S at the opposite ends thereof. Each of these supporting members S is of a U-shaped formation made up of a horizontal back 13 and legs 14 and 15. The U-shaped supports S are also preferably of a hollow or tubular construction, being made from an appropriate metallic tubing, and in a preferred embodiment of the invention are onepiece integral affairs. Thus, the back 13 is joined to theleg 15 by a bend such as shown at 16 and the leg 14 by another bend suchas illustrated at 17. If desired, the legs 14 and 15 could be originally formed as elements separate from the back 13 and then secured thereto in some manner such as by welding, soldering, or the use of a mechanical connection such as a screw bolt. However, it is believed that the one-piece integral construction is the more desirable.

As is clearly shown in Figure 2, each end of the grip bar 12 is cut away to form a recess at 18 which snugly receives the back 13 of one of the U-shaped supports S. After this back has been positioned in the recess 18 as illustrated, the two parts are welded or soldered together as indicated at 19. This provides a sturdy and rigid connection between the grip bar 12 and the U-shaped supports S at the opposite ends thereof.

Each of the legs 14 and 15 has a lower free end which is equipped with an antiskid or antislip element such as the rubber tips illustrated at 20. It is these rubber tips 20 which actually engage the floor, street, or other surface over which the person P moves.

The manner of using the walking aid of this invention is believed to be obvious from the illustration of the drawing and description of parts given. The person P grasps the grip bars 12 in his hands 11 and applies the rubber tips 20 to the surface over which he desires to travel. The latter afford a sure nonslipping effect.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth, it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact constructions, mechanisms, and devices illustrated and described, because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a walking aid, a device intended to be grasped by the hand of a user, said device comprising: a tubular grip bar of oval cross section having its opposite ends cut away to form recesses, a pair of U-shaped tubular supports each including a back and a pair of legs having free ends, the back of one U-shaped support being received in the recess at one end of said grip bar and secured thereto by a fused joint while the back of the other support is received in the recess at the other end of said grip bar and secured thereto by a second fused joint, and a rubber tip on the free end of each leg.

2. In a Walking aid, a device intended to be grasped by the hand of a user, said device comprising: a metallic tubular grip bar of oval cross section having its opposite ends formed with recesses, a pair of metallic tubular U- shaped supports each including a back, a bend at each end `of said back and a leg extending from each of said bends, the back of each U-shaped support being received in one of the recesses at the end of said grip bar and secured thereto by avfused joint, and a rubber tip secured to the free end of each leg.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,448,783 Blewtt et al. Mar. 20, 1923 1,802,323 Aulmann Apr. 28, 1931 2,409,365 Lamb Oct. l5, 1946 2,518,763 Du Bois Aug. 15, 1950 2,656,874 Robb Oct. 27, 1953 2,666,640 Jennings, Sr. Jan. 19, 1954 

